* This post contains affiliate links which means I receive a small commission (if you make a purchase) at no extra cost to you. You can read more about this in my disclaimer*
In my family, we love playing board games. We try to sit down at least ones a week as a family and play a game. Not only are board games fun, they also bring the family together, and can provide great learning opportunities. My toddler was always so interested in what we were doing so I decided to find games that she could do with us.
So what does it take to make a good game for a toddler? When choosing a game for toddler look for games that encourage social, visual, and vocabulary development. You will want the game to be age-appropriate along with bright, playful, and very simple to grab their attention.
When looking for your first board game for your toddler you will want one with simple game mechanics such as a memory game. Board games help children learn important social skills such as taking turns, rolling dice, flipping cards, and moving game pieces around the board. Now if your toddler still puts everything in their mouth you will want to try to stay away with games with small pieces.
So after going through many different games I have come up with a list of toddler approved games.
Board Games for Toddlers
Thinkfun Roll and Play
18 months +
This is a great game to start off with for your toddler! There are no small pieces so nothing to worry about there. It comes with a large soft dice and cards. You roll the dice and pick the card that matches the color on the dice. You then do what the card say. This is a great large motor and fine motor skill game along with color recognition.
Thinkfun Move and grove is another very similar game!
Seek-a-Boo
18 months +
This game is very similar to a traditional matching game. It games with find me cards and seek me cards. To play you place the find me card face down pic a seek me card and have your little one find the matching card. Great way to help with vocabulary skills, memory skills, along with learning to match.
Hello Sunshine
18 months+
This game is a fun very simple game for your toddler. It comes with directional cards and the sunshine. The parent picks a card, hides sunshine and then shows their toddler the card and the toddler finds sunshine. This is a great game to help toddlers learn their directions, vocabulary skills and language skills.
Acorn Soup
2+
This is one of my favorite games for toddlers. 
First Orchard
2+
This is another very great first game for toddlers. It helps with learning shapes and colors. The goal is to collect all the fruit before the crow gets to it. This game comes with large size fruit perfect for little hands, a dice, crow and game board. You roll the dice and you choose a fruit that matches the color you got on the dice. If you roll the crow the crow moves one step closer to the fruit.
Monkey Around
2+
Monkey Around game is a fun and simple board game for your toddler! Comes with directional cards a banana and a game board. You choose a card do what the card says then place the card on the board. This game improves gross motor skills, coordination, understanding spatial concepts, recognizing matching body parts, listening, and building vocabulary.
Where’s Bear
2+
This game is similar to the Hello Sunshine game listed above. It comes with six nesting boxes and a wooden bear. Each person takes tuns hiding the bear in the boxes while the others find the bear. This game helps with understanding object permanence, problem solving using hands, demonstrating spacial concepts.
Bunny Bedtime
2+
This is a wonderful game for learning routines and family settings! This game comes with a game board, Wooden Bunny, Dice and Double side tokens. This game has no small pieces. Start by rolling the dice, what ever color you get that’s the spot you move to, read the story that goes with that spot. Then find the matching shape token. You then choose which side of the token you want. Children will learn colors and shapes, making choices, puzzle problem-solving, listening and Social-Emotional skills.
Tidy Up
2+
This is another great game for learning routines. Help the charterer to tidy up his toys by putting them in the right spots. Tidy Up helps with fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, speech, object recognition and placement.
Here Fishy Fishy
2+
This is a very simple and fun game. This can be played as a game or as free play. Roll the dice and catch the fish that matches the dice. This is great for hand-eye coordination.
Teddy’s Colors and Shapes
2+
Want a game that is great at helping with colors and shapes? Teddy’s Colors and Shapes is the perfect choice for you! Comes with game cards and wood game pieces. No worry about small pieces! There are many different ways to play this game depending on the development of your child. Choose the dice you want to play with: colors or shapes. Roll the dice and then play with the matching piece. Place the piece where it goes. This game is very similar to puzzles just in a game form. Wonderful game to help with matching colors and shapes while helping with hand-eye coordination.
Hanna Honeybee
2+
Hanna Honey Bee is one of my favorite first time game. This game can be played in many different ways to meet the developmental needs of your child. Roll the dice and find the flower that is the same color as the dice. The bee then will put the flower into the bee hive and it turns to honey. Great game for hand-eye coordination, and learning colors along with memory.
Little Garden
2+
Little Garden game last a little longer then some of the others but it is still very fun for those toddlers. Comes with the game board, garden pieces, mole hill pieces and wooden tokens. Start by rolling the dice and moving clockwise to the correct color spot. Then start planting your garden. Great game to help learn colors.
Chugga Choo
2+
Building puzzle trains teaches color recognition and problem solving. Children place a wooden cargo tile into each car after it is added to the train.
Now that you have my list of 14 board games for toddlers I hope that helps you find the perfect game for your family game night. If you want to find more great games check out these games by HABA My very first games. As they offer wonderful easy and fun games for toddlers!
